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ASNC in Asia

In May, the Chinese Society of Nuclear Medicine (CSNM) held its annual meeting in Xi'an, China, with more than 1,000 attendees from China and across Asia. The meeting was also a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Nuclear Medicine in China, which originated in Xi'an. ASNC President Brian G. Abbott, MD, FASNC, was invited faculty and presented a lecture titled, “Nuclear Cardiology: Applications in Clinical Practice,” highlighting myocardial perfusion imaging for risk stratification, the role of I-123 MIBG imaging in heart failure as well as applications of PET imaging for coronary artery disease, amyloidosis and sarcoidosis.

“China has a robust Nuclear Medicine infrastructure, with PET/CT and even PET/MR widely available, largely for tumor imaging,” says Dr. Abbott. “However, Nuclear Cardiology is not mainstream in China, although the potential to expand there is substantial.” CSNM President Professor Yaming Li, MD, provided remarks recognizing that Nuclear Cardiology should be incorporated more routinely in daily clinical practice in China.

Dr. Abbott also brought with him the first-ever translation of the ASNC SPECT Imaging Guidelines (2010) in Chinese for distribution to the attendees. “We are excited to have the opportunity to promote the value of Nuclear Cardiology in China and look forward to working further with the CSNM and other professional societies to grow the field in Asia,” Dr. Abbott added.